Cellular safe.



No. 679,38l. Patented July 30, MIL

H. D. HIBBABD.

CELLULAR SAFE.

(Lpplication filed Nov. 2, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNTTED STATEs PATENT @EETEE.

HENRY D. HIBBARD, OF PLAINFIELD, NEYV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE HIBBARD, RODMAN, ELY SAFE COMPANY, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y.

CELLULAR SAFE.

SPEGIFIOAKLION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,381, dated July 30, 1901. Application filed November 2. 1900. Serial No. 35,200. (No model.)

To (LZZ whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY D. HIBBARD, a citizen of the United States, residing in Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cellular Safes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safes, the object being to provide an improved reinforced safe particularly adapted for use in transmitting valuables from one place to another.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front view of one form of this improved cellular safe. Fig. 2 is a perspective sectional view thereof, taken in line a a, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a front view of a somewhat-different shape of such safe, and Fig. 4 a front partly-sectional view of this improved cellular safe provided with a comparatively large number of cells.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

The present improved safe is particularly adapted for use in transmitting valuables from one point to another, and is especially designed for use on express-cars for the carriage of money and valuables. I-Ieretofore no absolute security has been provided against train-robbery, since the safes usually carried are not strong enough to resist being battered in at the top or at the sides by the use of a sledge-hammer or by a high explosive or when this is not feasible to resist entrance by way of the door, the former being the usual procedure, however, when practicable, since a train-robber will not attack the door if other means are more feasible; but by reinforcing both the walls of the safe, so as to prevent them from being battered in, and also the door it follows that entrance into a safe so reinforced by a train-robber within the time which he is able to devote to the purpose is believed to be absolutelyimpossible. A trainrobber when he finds that it is impossible to batter in the walls of a safe by a sledge-hammer or by the use of high explosives usually turns to the door as the only other possible way of ingress to the safe; but if this door is so protected that it is the least accessible part of the safe it follows that the robber must give up his task as a hopeless one.

The object of this invention, therefore, is to prevent entrance either through the walls or through the door by reinforcing both the walls and the door, thus producing an improved safe.

The safe in the form therof herein shown and described,and which may be its preferred form, if desired, comprises abody 2 of any desired or suitable shape, either rectangular, circular, or otherwise, provided with a doorway 3 for the reception of the door. (Not shown.) The safe may be formed of any desired and suitable metal, but when formed of unma'chineable metal, by which is meant that metal which cannot be readily drilled or boredsuch, for instance, as manganese steel, by which is meant the metal patented by Hadfield-the possibility of entering a safe by the use of sledge-hammers or high explosives is materially decreased, even when the walls thereof are made comparatively thin, as is often necessary in portable safes of a size and weight to permit them to be readily carried to and from a train. The Walls or sides 4 of this body are reinforced by suitable projections, shown in the present instance as a plurality of partitions -5, extending from side to side of the structure and forming a series of independent and separate cells 6. The metal of these partitions may be, if desired, of the same thickness as the metal forming the outer walls of the body.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a pair of transversely-extending partitions 5 are provided integral with the side walls of the body and forming a series of four cells 6, each separate and independent of each other and entrance to which is afforded by the one doorway.

In the form shown in Fig. 3 the safe is shown as a circular one and likewise pro vided with a pair of partitions forming four cells entered by the one doorway.

In the form shown in Fig. 4 a series of four partitions are provided, forming a series of nine cells, entrance to which is afforded by the one doorway.

By reinforcing the side walls of the safe by the provision of projections-such, for instance, as transversely 7 extending partitions-not only is the safe rendered secure against attack on its walls by means of sledgehammers or high explosives, but only one means of access to all the cells is provided, so that shouldentrance to one cell be effected the same operation would have to be successfully repeated in connection with all the other cells in order to completely loot the safe. This one entrance to all the cells is afforded by means of the doorway 3, and when the jambof this doorway is provided with an increased portion of metal around the same, thereby forming an elongated j amb 7, having a ring, flange, or bead 8 located around the same and adapted to yield under the effect of an explosive charge when the same is fired at or near the joint,.as shown and described in my contemporaneously-pending applications, Serial No. 679,976, filed May 7, 1898,and SerialNo. 696,394,filed November 1 L,1898,now

Patent Nos. 662,428 and 662,429, dated No vember 27, 1900, the entering of the cells by means of the dooris not possible, as has been demonstrated by experiment in connection with the safe constructed in accordance with the said applications just referred to.

In conclusion, since forcible entrance by way of the door is not possible it therefore follows that the only other mode left to the robber is to force in the sides of the body, which when reinforced in the manner shown and described is not believed possible. Furthermore, each cell forms in itself a complete structure, entrance to which is only possible through the main door, although, if desired, each cell could be closed by a door separate and independent of the main door.

I claim as my invention- 1. A cellular safe comprising a body having one or more transversely-extending partitions cast integral with the walls of such body and forming cells, all having a common doorway provided with a yielding bead or flange located around the same.

2. A safe comprising a body having means located on the interior thereof for reinforcing the Walls of such body and also havinga bead or flange located on the exterior thereof and around the door for reinforcing such door thereby to prevent entrance either by means of the door or through the walls.

' HENRY D. HIBBARD.

Witnesses:

O. A. WEED, CHARLES FINKLER. 

